Patrickmadebeloved ListokeHousehishome
PATRICK Barrow of Listoke House, Drogheda died peacefully and surrounded by his family on August 20th, 2018 in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda at the age of 78 years.
Born in 1940 in England, he moved with his parents to the family home and farm at Milestown in Castlebellingham in 1947. Patrick was married in 1968 to Patricia Thornhill whose father was born in Drogheda at the Abbey House. Patrick and Patricia had two children, Juliet and Luky and have seven grandchildren, Naoise, William, Jamie, Cian, Patrick, Anna and Johnny. Patrick adored his grandchildren and his family. The couple celebrated their Golden Wedding earlier this year. They have lived at Listoke since 1979.
Patrick was educated at primary level at Mourne Grange near Kilkeel and at secondary level at St.Columba’s College in Rathfarnham, Co.Dublin.
At third level, Patrick studied horticulture at Dunleer VEC which provided a solid grounding for his agricultural activities in the years to come.
At Columba’s he excelled at music studying under the famous musician, Dr. Joseph Groocock. Here Patrick learnt violin and piano accordion. His talent for music continued all his life and he regularly played at parties and on any occasion where he would add to the life and entertainment.
While at school he polished his equestrian skills studying at the Hume Dudgeon riding school. Patrick became an accomplished show jumper and rode horses all his life. His musical and equestrian skills have passed on through his daughters and his grandchildren and seeing them performing music and riding gave him endless pleasure. His wife, Patricia is a classical guitarist and together with the children they make up a real family musical ensemble. Patrick would intersperse his music with rousing Percy French songs all of which he knew by heart and their history. Patrick believed in a lively party.
Patrick was a country person and believed in the land and the important contribution of those who made their living on the land and all the animals involved. Today Listoke, where he farmed, is a veritable Noah’s Ark of family pets, rescued wildlife and working animals.
Back in Ireland, Patrick’s early working life was spent with Massey Ferguson and he travelled the (whole) country demonstrating farm machinery at a time when graduating to a Ferguson tractor was a first step to mechanisation from horse drawn machinery.
He farmed at Milestown, Castlebellingham with his main interest being sheep and showed them at the Dundalk Agricultural Show. In the early 1970s he set up the Fish Factory in Clogherhead , at the time called Eironor, which under new ownership, is still running. At that time the fish processed were mussels from Carlingford Lough, pickled for the English pub market and Scampi from Dublin Bay prawns landed in Clogherhead.
In 1979, Patrick and his family moved to Listoke on the Ballymakenny Road near Drogheda and farmed. At the same time, he and Patricia set up a Garden Landscaping business as well as developing and expanding Listoke Gardens.
Patrick and Patricia regularly opened Listoke Gardens for charities. Patrick worked tirelessly promoting many charities. He helped with collections over many years for the RNLI Lifeboat at Clogherhead. On the day of his funeral, Clogherhead RNLI hung their flag at half-mast for which the family felt most honoured. Other charities for which Patrick helped fundraise included the Guide Dogs for the Blind, the Poppy Ireland collections for Irish ex-servicemen from the Second World War, SSAFA, the Chernobyl Childrens’ trust and he was a supporter of Drogheda Samaritans. Patrick, together with Patricia and their daughter, Luky, travelled to Belorussia in connection with the Chernobyl Childrens’ project to develop and landscape gardens at the orphanage which many from Drogheda have also been involved in helping.
Patrick believed selflessly in the people who worked the land. He wrote this poem which he asked to be read at his funeral:
Finally, the farmers who work in the fields Who go on forever, regardless of yields And I know many are damn near broke Do persevere, never despair
And farewell from the man at Listoke.